RKChallenge November2010
by RK.Challenge
Summary: The Live Journal Community meets FFnet. Here are the entries for the monthly themes. Please, enjoy a wide variety of characters and genres and make your votes! Chapter 2: Aoshi&Misao, Kaoru
1. Fall 500 words or less

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or these entries

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**OCTOBER WINNERS ARE:**

**Black**  
**(Entries of less than 500 words)**

Seeping into Darkness by **jenineji**

**Scary**  
**(Entries of more than 500 words)**

First  
In All Seriousness by **lin_yun** (aka Sango Shadowphoenix)

Second  
Gifted by **jenineji**

Third  
Of Heatstrokes and Masters by **missgoalie75**

**CONGRATULATION WINNERS!**

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xxoOoxx

**Welcome!**

Here are the entries for the Novemener-FALL Challenge in our RK_Challenge Community in Live Journal. Due to a lack of participants in the community and our desire to maintain the community running we have agreed to permit FFnet readers to vote for the entries. Thanks for reading!

Please, help our community grow again!

xxoOoxx

**VOTING RULES:**

You must be logged in for your vote to count.

You must vote using this format:

ENTRY # 2 - Favorite entry (3points)

ENTRY # 8 - (2points)

ENTRY # 1 -(1 point)

THANKS FOR READING! ENJOY!

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**NOVEMBER THEME 1: FALL**

**Word limit: less or 500 words**

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**ENTRY #1**

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Title: I Will Not Bow  
Author: Violetcarson  
Word Count: 448  
Rating: PG/K+  
Summary: Kaoru is driven to prove something to herself, and to him.  
Notes: This is my first post to this community, and hopefully not my last. The prompt made me think of this song by Breaking Benjamin, and it continued from there. XD If anything is incorrect about my posting, please let me know and I will rectify it.

Sweat coated her body like a second skin. It dripped off her fingertips, slid down her back, and beaded on her face. Her body was a raging inferno, heat boiling through her, burning away the desperate emotions that were trying to consume her. She spun her sword in an arc around her, coveting the piercing song the blade sang as it cut through the air. She twisted, and the sword slashed forward at a different angle. Another twist, and the sword was chopping straight down overhead, before slicing away again. She parried the strike from an opponent only she could see, stepping back as she swung, before advancing with a burst of speed. Her stances were perfect. Her weight was solidly divided between each foot, and the movements of her feet never upset her balance. It didn't feel like she was taking steps, it felt as if she was dancing, her entire body moving effortlessly and gracefully through the positions. She extended her sword again, reaching for the invisible opponent, and drew back, balancing on one foot, her sword poised above her for the next strike, and held.

"Release," the man's voice was firm, solid, and as full of sturdy strength as a boulder. Kaoru sank down out of the stance, and sheathed her weapon. She bent her knees, and tried to fall gracefully to the wood floor. Her muscles were shaking from the exertion, and she hungrily sucked in deep lungfuls of air. Her father moved to stand before her from his position at the side of the dojo. He waited until she had regained her breath, and then said, "That was good, much better than before. But you are not making the movements powerful enough. Your form is nearly perfect. Now feel the weight of the actions, feel their power. Repeat the same kata, but with more ferocity." His voice was firm.

She nodded to him. "Yes sir!" She leaped to her feet again, assuming the first stance, hand hovering over her sword's hilt.

He regarded her for a moment, directly in front. Two sets of eyes, the exact same shade of blue, regarded each other before he returned to the wall to observe.

"Begin!"

As Kaoru began the first blocking movements of the form, she forced herself to focus on her body to the extreme. She was power incarnate as she slipped through the moves. Determination fueled her. After all, she now had something to live up to. _I will prove myself_, she thought. The memory of brilliant violet eyes, a mane of red hair, and a tender look drove her. _I will be worthy of you_, she promised the man that haunted her memories.

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**ENTRY # 2**

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**Title: A fine male**  
**Author: JeniNeji**  
Prompt: Fall  
Genre: Romance, friendship  
Rating: T  
Characters: Kaoru Mama.  
Words: 369  
Warnings: Werewolves story  
A/N: Part # 1 of Return to wildlife [New serial]  
Summary: Some times the snow and the cold will help someone absorb painful news.

A white female wolf rested inside the warmth of a low-hidden cave. Blue eyes looked at the ragging storm outside, glad to be able to enjoy the safety the rocky formation provided her with. She had gotten lost while hunting. Winter just fell and as a side effect made prey harder to find. She had strayed from her customary route in search of the needed nourishment, but sadly, hadn't been successful. The high amount of fallen snow was making things difficult and had impeded her from reaching the necessary speed to catch any prey. Rabbits had been so easy to catch a week ago!

The white wolf whimpered dejectedly and moved her tail so it hid her nose against the dropping temperature.

She had been a fool! What did she expect was going to happen these next weeks? Never before she had been as scared of her fate as she was now, or better said, of _their _fate.

The sound of claws hitting stone made the young female wolf twitch her ears nervously, but before she could stand up, a familiar grey and brown wolf made its presence known. She whined loudly and the wolf, her alpha, hurried to her side.

He licked her muzzle tenderly and then moved his nose to her stomach and sniffed delicately, "You are all in good state, I see."

"Yes," she said cautiously, "I am sorry you had to search for me."

The wolf said nothing. He moved to her side and slumped down next to her to share their furry body warmth. They rested in silence for about an hour before the alpha wolf finally broke it, "Miho, whose pups are you carrying?"

"No ones," she hurriedly replied and moved her face away from him. She wasn't ashamed, but was feeling slightly guilty.

"Why didn't you find me again? Our last coupling was successful. Our pups were born strong and healthy." He asked, softly and slowly, as if it pained him.

"I—" she tried but stopped. After a few seconds she tried again, "He saved me…I was grateful. He was a fine male."

"Fine wolf," the alpha added softly, and licked her fur understandingly.

"No, a fine…male." Miho declared stubbornly. _Male…dog._

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**ENTRY #3**

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Title: Scraped Knees  
Author: MissGoalie75  
Prompt: Fall  
Rating: K+  
Words: 264  
Summary: Kenshin and Kenji share an important moment.

Kenji's calmed down, but tears are still rolling down his pink cheeks as Kenshin finishes wrapping his son's knee to keep the bandage on his knee in place.

"You'll be all right," Kenshin mutters.

Kenji sniffles, something that Kenshin _hates_ when other people do it, but he can't manage to be disgusted with his son – it's impossible.

"You're free to go!" Kenshin finally says, ruffling his son's hair with a smile.

Kenji shakes his head, looking down at his knees.

Kenshin sighs. "Are you scared?" he asks kindly.

Kenji nods his head.

Kenshin feels like this is an important moment. He knows that his son is going to look back on this Indian summer day and realize that this is the _precise_ moment when he learned that life isn't going to be easy. You're going to trip and stumble and sometimes fall flat on your face. Sometimes you'll get up easily enough, other times it'll feel like you'll never be able to lift yourself up.

_Eventually you'll have to dust yourself off and walk on on._

Kenshin _has_ to say the right thing.

"Your friends are missing you. You can't let them down. Go on. You won't fall again," he tells him, wincing a little at the last comment. That's not true, he very well could fall.

But Kenji looks up, his lovely blue eyes glassy and red. "I should go out?"

"Yeah. If you get hurt, I'm here. Your mom's always here, too."

_Or some people can, and will help you._

Kenji nods. "'Kay," he says before hopping off the table and running outside.

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xxoOoxx

Please, remember to vote for your favorite entry!

xxoOoxx


	2. Leave 500 words or less

Disclaimer: I don't own these entries nor do I own Rurouni Kenshin

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These are the entries for November2010-Leave (500 words or less). As for the November2101-frosty One-shots…well voting will not be held because of a lack of participants.

Thanks for reading and remember to vote for your favorite.

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**In this case, since there are only two entries, you may choose only ONE entry!**

**Read and choose carefully!**

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**Entry #1**

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**Title: Job interview, checked!  
Author: JeniNeji**  
Prompt: Leave  
Genre: friendship, drama  
Rating: T  
Words: 457  
A/N: This is Part 3 of the prompts for October. Previous entries can be found here  
Summary: Part 1: Getting Kenshin, checked! Part 2: Getting to Kyoto, checked! Part 3: Getting a job…well…

"You may come in," a woman in her mid-thirties, inside one of the inn's offices, told her flatly as she continued to work on her bouquet.

Kaoru nodded and moved inside the room silently. She turned to close the door, but the woman stopped her with a firm, 'leave it open'.

Kaoru instantly became nervous. The woman's ruthlessly personality so far alerted her of hard work and a demanding perfection that would surely cause her problems in the near future is she did work here. If only her father had reprimanded her more often for talking out of place…

"What is that?" the woman administrator of the inn in Kyoto asked clearly with disapproval "Are you married?"

"No," Kaoru replied quickly and firmly, "He's my cousin…orphaned."

"It will do you no good to have a child with you, much less in this bloody town. Everyone will think less of you and you will be mistreated."

Kaoru pondered the woman for a moment. She knew the woman just made a realistic statement, something she had known could happen, but to be put so bluntly and carelessly made her insides go cold. "I am a martial artist, my lady," Kaoru explained carefully, "and if I didn't have to take care of him…I wouldn't need to work here."

The woman's eyes changed their disapproval and tuned into something more gentle-like, "I see…so as long as the child remains well taken care of…you would stay." Kaoru nodded her head. "Let me tell you child…assassin's roam all the restaurants and inns around…are you sure you want to get involved in these affairs?"

"No one else would hire me, I'm considered _too young_," explained Kaoru.

"I know what you mean," the woman said and offered a soft smile, "what is his name? I like his oddly colored hair."

"He's named Kenshin, my lady."

"You may work here for some time…"

"Kaoru."

"…Kaoru, and as soon as the boy is of age he will help in minor tasks…is that all right with you?" the woman asked while she fixed the invisible wrinkles on her dark-brown kimono.

"It is, lady…"

"Uno."

"Lady Uno."

"Well, miss Kaoru, let's get you settled…after all, your arm must be tired. That child is still young, but not as young as to not weight a good fifteen pounds. It would do no good for you to tire your arm like that."

Kaoru chuckled, but she was starting to like this woman, "I am strong Lady Uno, must I remind you…"

"Of course not! Why do you think I hired that pair of healthy and muscled arms? It's hard to find those in a female these days."

"Oh," maybe she was not as gentle and good-willed as Kaoru had first thought…

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**ENTRY # 2**

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Title: Come and Go and Drag  
Author: MissGoalie75  
Theme: Leaves  
Rating: K/K+  
Words: 153  
Summary: Misao doesn't quite accept Aoshi's decision to leave.

Misao is very confident in herself – she knows exactly who she is and she's not ashamed of anything. It's how she's always been. Sure, she can be a bit headstrong and she can have tunnel vision when it comes to certain things, but she cares about those dear to her and she knows what she wants.

Which includes Aoshi.

But at the same time…

She clenches her fists as she lies in bed, another day of waiting come and gone. If there's one other way to describe Misao, it's her lack of patience.

She's just not cut out for waiting.

When she hears word of Aoshi being in Tokyo, she packs what little belongings she possesses and leaves. The old man doesn't attempt to hold her back.

Aoshi may have left her, but she plans on dragging him back, no matter what it takes. She's Misao Makimachi and she's a fighter – she'll manage.

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**Please, give your vote. This time you may only choose ONE entry.**

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November 2010- Fall Winners!

**First Place**  
Scrapped Knees by **missgoalie75**

**Second Place**

I will not bow by **dreamingforrain**

**Third Place****  
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A fine male by **jenineji**


	3. Frosty more than 500 words

**Disclaimer: I don't own RK nor this entry**

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**This was the only entry for NOV2010- Frosty.**

**There is no voting in this one, this is only for those interested in following the story.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Title: Frosty trial**  
**Author: JeniNeji**  
Prompt: Frost  
Genre: Family, dark, drama  
Rating: T  
Character: Kaoru, Kaoru's mother, Gohei  
Words: 1,089  
Warnings: Language and violence  
A/N: Part # 2 of Return to wildlife  
**Summary: **The destiny of a litter of wolves is reduced to the destiny of merely one pup.

Kaoru cowered behind her brothers and sisters while the alpha, a term she had begun to fear with all her might, watched them and her mother with a frosty gaze while his mind swirled with indecision. He had to make a choice with them because they were_ impure_…

"What will you have us do?" One of the elders, another term she had come to fear in her young age, asked. His eyes twitched with pity and anger at the same time.

Her mother, one of the few wolves with pristine white hair whimpered, "What do you mean? They are my pups and I work long and hard every day, just as the others, to get food for our pack."

Five pairs of eyes fell on her, but she resisted the urge to back a step or show any kind submission as she would have done had it been a different matter than her litter's life.

Out of the five wolves only one wolf, with a coat dressed in different tones of brown, snarled in disgust. "You lowly bitch! You rutted with a _stray dog_! You should be killed for your insolence!"

"Silence!" growled threateningly the alpha wolf.

He was by far the biggest wolf in the pack and his coat color was a mixture between grey and brown. His eyes, unlike many of them, were dark and full of wisdom. She had always believed in him, because she was certain he knew a kind of kindness born of hardship which very few obtained in their life. It was a pity she had been wrong about his never ending kindness.

"You were wrong in your doing Miho," declared the alpha wolf slowly, "We cannot feed mouths which will not help us in the future. There is a reason we, wild wolves, live by ourselves and stray dog, need to live with humans. Therefore—"

"I will leave and take them with me! Please, do not condemn my pups for my wrong doing," pleaded the white female dog and lay down in sign of servitude.

The alpha looked at her for a few moments, his dark eyes moving from her to her pups with a sad gaze. He knew there were few things he could do, and out of them, none would make the female happy. It was a hard moment; his decision would affect his whole pack and will also risk her life, his and their ranks.

"Your suggestion is denied."

Waiting for no other hint the four elders raced at blinding speed and each one of them caught a pup and moved to dismember it mercilessly. The white mother wined brokenly but also moved to her offspring and caught one, the one she believed to have the most chance at survival, and rushed out of the way of the others, leaving another two behind. The cries of her dying pups will forever be echoing in her memories and she was sure the guilt and sadness will never leave her.

"Hand that pup!" One of the elders demanded.

The mother placed her pup behind her front legs and snarled furiously in an unfamiliar show of defiance.

"Why you?" the brown wolf from before charged but the white wolf dodged and bit his neck without remorse. Blood splattered the snow underneath them as they tried to best the other.

"Stop!" the alpha ordered and the white wolf lowered the pressure on her assaulter's neck but didn't release him, "Miho, release him."

Miho reluctantly did as told and may down to hide her only pup left.

The alpha shook his head and jumped down from the rocks he had taken as residence. "It's a female…she better earn her food Miho," warned the alpha as he passed by her.

"Alpha, surely you jest," the brown injured wolf said hatefully.

"I do not. Females are scarce as it is, don't forget it Gohei."

Gohei turned to Miho, his hatred plain in his yellow gaze but the fear he thought he was going to find in her eyes was absent, instead blue eyes defied him. Knowing Miho's superior ability at fights he silently moved to an easier target. His yellow eyes turned down to the black pup with blue eyes cowering under her mother's fur, "Beware pup…accidents happen all the time."

Miho nipped threateningly and Gohei moved farther away from her and kicked one of the lifeless pups before following the route the alpha had previously taken.

Miho growled agitated with anger and despair, and little by little each elder left her to mourn her lost in peace. Miho howled her sadness and frustration to the white moon while her broken heart valiantly tried to find strength. She needed to be strong in order to save her remaining pup.

"Mother?" inquired the small pup from under her, "Is he going to hurt us?"

Miho looked down and licked her pup's muzzle reassuringly, "He will Kaoru."

Kaoru whimpered in fear and dug even deeper under her mother and tried to hide under the snow below them.

"Shh," reassured Miho, "I will keep you safe."

Kaoru looked up, startled for a moment, "Kaoru wants to be with you," the pup fervently professed.

Miho licked Kaoru's muzzle again. She knew she had made the right choice. Her daughter, although a hybrid, was the one who looked like a wolf the most. It had been a fast decision, but she knew how the lack of females in the pack was causing them all difficulties. She knew her alpha had been merciful, and she was glad he allowed her to have at least one pup from her past and unknown lover. It allowed her to remember him and the heroic way in which he saved her that fateful day. She would have to thank him one day.

"Kaoru, we depart."

Kaoru, who was almost asleep, looked up with sharp and focused blue eyes, "Where?"

"We will be by ourselves this winter. The storms will prevent them from finding us easily, and then, in the spring we will part ways. I return to the pack," instructed Miho, and when Kaoru was about to object, the older wolf growled. "You will do as I say."

Without any other warning, Miho stood and began to walk away, in the opposite direction her alpha had taken. Kaoru whimpered but her mother ignored her. She followed out of fear of the other wolves, and soon, both females disappeared behind a curtain of snowflakes.

_Yes, I will protect the only living piece of you, my love._


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